Starting with the GV80’s engine bay, Genesis promises the SUV will offer a choice between two engines: A turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6. Power figures for those engines are unknown at this point, but we do know that both use an eight-speed automatic transmission, and while rear-wheel drive is standard, all-wheel drive is optional. (All-wheel-drive models will also include a limited-slip rear differential.) Unsurprisingly, the 3.0-liter diesel available in Korea and Europe is not on the docket for the U.S. That engine makes around 274 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque. North American GV80s also receive an electronically controlled suspension with a road-preview function, which uses forward-facing cameras to scan the road surface ahead of the vehicle to prepare the dampers for impending bumps. Active noise cancellation tech should hush the cabin, helping make this Genesis SUV even more cushy on the road. As for price, expect the 2021 GV80 to cost around $50,000 to start—if not a bit less—and top out in the mid-$60,000 range.
Beyond the GV80’s mechanical package, Genesis has outlined a series of high-tech comfort and convenience features that will be onboard U.S.-bound models. Take, for example, the adaptive cruise control system. It can learn a driver’s habits, meaning it can tailor the following distance behind other cars and how aggressively it stops or accelerates the GV80 to how the driver might do it. Aggressive drivers take note: Your Genesis SUV will try and ape your behavior when its driver-assist features are in use.
Inside the cabin, North American-market GV80s come equipped with a crisp 14.5-inch display with a split-screen setup. Genesis has confirmed that augmented-reality navigation also will be headed here; this feature takes video from the front cameras and displays it on the navigation screen to combine virtual directions and animations and actual driving images of the road. The optimal driving path is then displayed in a virtual graphic. Mercedes-Benz vehicles offer a similar feature. Genesis has also paid a lot of attention to the GV80’s seating, and heated and ventilated front- and second-row seats are available (sorry, third-row riders!), while an “active motion” driver’s seat has seven adjustable internal air bladders that are supposed to reduce driving fatigue. In non-technical terms, it is intended to keep the driver’s butt from getting sore on long drives.
More in-depth specifications and equipment rundowns will be released closer to the GV80’s on-sale date here in America, and we can hardly wait. The Genesis SUV looks ready to burst onto the luxury scene, a tough job for any outsider, but at first glance it appears to be equipped for the task of measuring up to Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and other establishment players.